. 2022 Aug 31;58(9):1188. doi: 10.3390/medicina58091188

Table 1.

Characteristics of the studies included in the meta-analysis.

Source	Publication Date	Country	Sport Type	Species	Assessed Inflammatory Markers	Probiotic Type	Control (Placebo) Type	Male Female Total	Probiotic Control	Probiotic Control	Probiotics	Baseline Assessment Time	Dose (¹⁶ CFU)	Frequency	Intervention Time	Post-Intervention Assessment Time
West, 2011	2011 April	Australia	Cycling	L. fermentum	IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IFN-γ, TNF-α	Capsule	Capsule	M: 62 F: 35 T: 97	P: 47 C: 50 T: 97	P: 35.2 ± 10.3 C: 36.4 ± 8.9	P: 77.9 ± 8.4 C: 76.9 ± 8.2	Prior to supplement period	1 billion CFU	1 capsule QD	11 weeks	Immediately after a race
Tavares-Silva, 2021	2021 April	Brazil	Running	B. bifidum, B. lactis, L. acidophilus, L. lactis, L. paracasei	IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, TNF-α, salivary IgA	Capsule	Capsule	M: 14 F: 0 T: 14	P: 7 C: 7 T: 14	P: 41.57 ± 3.20 C: 38.28 ± 3.09	P: 71.24 ± 3.55 C: 78.43 ± 8.40	1st day	5 billion CFU	2 g ²⁰ QN	30 days	Immediately after a race
Smarkusz-Zarzecka, 2020	2020 December	Poland	Running	B. bifidum, B. animalis subsp. lactis, L. acidophilus, L. brevis W63, L. casei, L. lactis, L. salivarius	CRP, TNF-α	Capsule	Capsule	M: 46 F: 20 T: 66	P: 34 C: 32 T: 66	P: 39.35 ± 8.23 C: 37.62 ± 8.82	P: 72.46 ± 4.62 C: 78.26 ± 6.74	Prior to supplement period	2.5 billion CFU	2 capsules BID	90 days	After the supplement period; physical activity was avoided for at least 24 h before the test
Schreiber, 2021	2021 May	Israel	Cycling	B. subtilis, B. lactis, B. longum ES1, E. faecium W54, L. helveticus	IL-6, ¹⁰ CRP, TNF-α	Capsule	Capsule	M: 27 F: 0 T: 27	P: 11 C: 16 T: 27	P: 25.9 ± 4.6 C: 29.5 ± 6.2	P: 71.3 ± 8.9 C: 72.0 ± 6.2	1st day	15 billion CFU	1 capsule QD	90 days	90th day; strenuous activity was avoided for at least 24 h
Quero-Calero, 2022	2022 March	Spain	Soccer	B. lactis, B. longum ES1, L. rhamnosus GG	IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α	Powder stick	Powder stick	M: 13 F: 0 T: 13	P: 7 C: 6 T: 13	P: 20.6 ± 1.39 C: 21.9 ± 2.77	P: 70.57 ± 6.75 C: 73.95 ± 6.42	1st day	1 billion CFU	1 #QD	30 days	30th day at 8 a.m.
Quero, 2021	2021 April	Spain	Soccer	B. lactis, B. longum ES1, L. rhamnosus GG	IL-1β, IL-10, salivary IgA	Powder stick	Powder stick	M: 13 F: 0 T: 13	P: 7 C: 6 T: 13	P: 20.66 ± 1.39 C: 21.9 ± 2.77	P: 70.57 ± 6.75 C: 73.95 ± 6.42	1st day	1 billion CFU	1 #QD	30 days	30th day at 8 a.m.
Pugh, 2019	2019 July	UK	Running	B. bifidum, B. animalis subsp. lactis, L. acidophilus	IL-6, IL-8, IL-10	Capsule	Capsule	M: 20 F: 4 T: 24	P: 11 C: 9 T: 20	P: 34.8 ± 6.9 C: 36.1 ± 7.5	P: 76.5 ± 9.4 C: 73.5 ± 11.3	4 weeks before the marathon and prior to the supplement period	25 billion CFU	1# ¹⁹ QDAMPC, 1# on the morning of the race, 1# 2 h before the start	28 days	Immediately after a race
Gleeson, 2011	2011 February	UK	Endurance-based activities	L. casei Shirota	IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IFN-γ, TNF-α, ⁹ salivary IgA	Fermented drink	Identical in color and taste	M: 54 F: 30 T: 84	P: 32 C: 26 T: 58	P: 32 ± 14 C: 25 ± 9	P: 71.2 ± 9.9 C: 71.6 ± 10.7	1st day	6.5 billion CFU	1# ¹⁸ BID	8 weeks	After 8 weeks and 16 weeks; strenuous activity was avoided for at least 24 h
Batatinha, 2020	2020 November	Brazil	Runners	B. animalis subsp. Lactis L. acidophilus	¹ IL-1β, ² IL-2, ³ IL-4, ⁴ IL-6, ⁵ IL-8, ⁶ IL-10, ⁷ IFN-γ, ⁸ TNF-α	Sachets	Sachets	¹¹ M: 27 ¹² F: 0 ¹³ T: 27	¹⁴ P: 14 ¹⁵ C: 13 T: 27	P: 35.96 ± 5.81 C: 40.46 ± 7.79	P: 79.30 ± 10.99 C: 72.67 ± 10.20	1st day	20 billion CFU	1# ¹⁷ QD	30 days	1 h after a race

¹ IL-1β, interleukin-1 beta; ² IL-2, interleukin-2; ³ IL-4, interleukin-4; ⁴ IL-6, interleukin-6; ⁵ IL-8, interleukin-8; ⁶ IL-10, interleukin-10; ⁷ IFN-γ, interferon-gamma; ⁸ TNF-a, tumor necrosis factor-alpha; ⁹ salivary IgA, salivary immunoglobulin A; ¹⁰ CRP, C-reactive protein; ¹¹ M, male; ¹² F, female; ¹³ T, total; ¹⁴ P, probiotics; ¹⁵ C, control; ¹⁶ CFU, colony-forming unit; ¹⁷ QD, once a day; ¹⁸ BID, twice a day; ¹⁹ QDAMPC, once a day after breakfast; ²⁰ QN, once in the night.